To take advantage of opportunities/solve problems, the need for a greater than local/cross-boundary approach can be seen. Regional cooperation is the nominal tool, yet the goal is to be greater; have greater capacity, resources, market,…. Greater is regional; working across boundaries achieves it. Cooperation is possible when people recognize such regional community. This is regional intelligence: Greater Communities solving problems, of which security is foremost; altogether “community motive.”

Top Regional Community stories

With Governor Perdue’s signing of the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, the future of transportation in Georgia and metro Atlanta now lies in the voters’ hands.Residents will have a chance to vote yes for much-needed transportation improvements in August 2012, that have not been able to move forward due to a lack of funding.

The bill divides the state into 12 regions, along the same lines as Regional Commissions. Local leaders in each region will develop a list of projects that could be funded by a one percent sales tax. The transportation funding referendum will appear on the ballot in the 2012 primary elections. All potential revenue collected in any one of the 12 regions would stay in that region. Residents will have a chance to review their region’s project list and know exactly what they’re voting for before going to the polls. Breaking the state into regions enables local jurisdictions to make funding decisions that benefit their communities, while also working with state transportation officials to support the larger statewide strategic transportation plan. There are also provisions specific to MARTA and other transit services, as well as rural and human services transportation.

Request for Review and Comment on Draft Criteria: For the Development of Transportation Investment Act's Investment List

As required by the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, the Georgia Department of Transportation Planning Director has developed draft criteria for development of a list of projects and programs to be funded by the proposed sales tax. The Planning Director has mailed these draft criteria for comment to every county, city and metropolitan planning organization in Georgia.

There are many serious policy lessons worth studying in the context of bilateral exchanges between Britain and Indonesia, and one of the most pertinent is the new British government’s recent determination to close its Regional Development Agencies by 2012. The lesson for Indonesia, however, is not in their closure but in their creation and raison d’etre .

In the UK model, nine RDAs were created by the previous Labour government to address economic imbalances across England. …

… creation of a strategically driven regional body that received its grant funding from a single government budget, as in the UK model, makes perfect sense if the aim of the center is to address disparities without being subject to local interference or narrow agendas.

But in a display of political gamesmanship, the new UK coalition government has, within three months of winning power, reversed this logic and argued that regional inequality has in fact increased as a result of regional development agencies creating unnecessary and expensive layers of bureaucracy…

What are the development lessons behind these political shenanigans that might be of use for a country like Indonesia, which is both ready for a second generation of provincial decentralization policies and laws and a grouping together of provinces into larger regions?

For Indonesia, with 33 provinces and special autonomous regions spread over thousands of islands, there is a case for arguing that provincial inequalities and broader provincial development should continue in line with new versions of provincial decentralization.

…

Regional development agencies could play an important role in ensuring that the natural skew of the land does not result in unmanageable inequalities between regions.

…

While a UK-type model would not solve everything, it could be adopted as a coordinating structure to provide an effective interface between Jakarta and provincial capitals.

Disappointed at the slow pace of regional development, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday vowed to make amends by disciplining regional leaders who failed to perform.

“I have to have the tools to discipline regional heads so that they perform their duties well,” he said during a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace.

“After six years leading the nation, it is time to correct this, otherwise we will stray further down the wrong path.

“Democracy doesn’t mean unlimited freedom. We must exercise responsibility in running the country, in order for the people to get the maximum benefit from the system we chose,” he said.

Yudhoyono added he had received information regarding poor regional governance through letters and text messages, as well as through visiting the regions in question.

“Our Constitution states that the president holds the authority to govern,” he said.

“Although regional leaders are elected directly, be they governors, district heads or mayors, they’re still part of the government and the president is the one who holds sway over them all.”

Yudhoyono added that it was his obligation to ensure that regional leaders were fulfilling their duties.

“The right policies, the large budgets, our seriousness — all of this would mean nothing if at the implementation stage things are missing here and there,” Yudhoyono said.

He said that regional leaders, especially at the district and municipal levels, often adopted policies that later turned out to negatively impact many sectors, citing the case of coal mines that polluted the environment.

“Regional budgets that have been approved by local legislatures often miss the target and are excessive,” he added.

…

The minister declined to elaborate on the possible form the punishment might take.

I recently became aware of incorrect information published in a column by State Sen. John Carey, R-17th District, in your newspaper … I would like to set the record straight.

…

Sen. Carey says our report, "Restoring Prosperity: Transforming Ohio's Communities for the Next Economy," which provides a series of recommendations to help Ohio become more competitive in the future, is biased toward big cities. Nothing could be farther from the truth. …

Recommendations from Restoring Prosperity apply equally to metropolitan areas and rural areas, and both have much to gain from each other's successes.

Greater Ohio's focus on governance reform and regionalism is not one that trips off the lips of country folk easily; we distrust our city cousins. However, research conducted by Greater Ohio has proven conclusively that because we shop in the big cities, revenue sharing would benefit rural folks the most. Since we have fewer people, governance reform that allows us to keep our cost of government low per resident will have the largest bang for reform in rural areas.

You can find more examples about the importance of Appalachia and rural Ohio's stake in the Restoring Prosperity strategy, and the research and outreach that went into its development, by reading our report, which can be found at http://www.greaterohio.org

Just as I relied on test plots from OSU to determine which varieties of corn to plant to get the maximum yield when I farmed, Greater Ohio has been running test plots on public policy by meeting with local community groups, civic organizations and elected leaders to hear their best practices and share state level policy reforms. The research speaks for itself. Restoring prosperity to Ohio means both strong metros and rural areas. We can't have one without the other.

The Charleston Regional Development Alliance presented results of a recent research project, which analyzed the Charleston region in comparison with similarly sized areas in the mid-Atlantic, …

The study, conducted by ClemsonUniversity’s Center for Economic Development and the Center for Business Research at the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, compared data from five years before the recession in five areas: economic performance, human capital, innovative activity, entrepreneurial environment and quality of place.

…

The study noted a slight increase in Charleston’s Human Capital Index and Quality of Place Index.

“You are very successful in being a magnet for talent,” Hughes said, adding that part of that is reflective of the technical education system.

Mary Graham, senior vice president of public policy for the chamber, said the region suffers because there is a gap between what workers are paid and what it costs to live in Charleston.

“We’re doing well with employment rates, but earnings aren’t keeping up,” she said.

Hughes said crime pulled Charleston’s Livability Index below the national average. He said the problem is well-understood by anyone who lives here — pockets of crime are interspersed throughout the region.

“The business community needs to think about what you can do to lift up those kinds of places,” he said, adding that such change will not happen suddenly. “Maybe you can move that needle and begin to work on these kinds of issues.”

Hughes said place-based strategies that help people and businesses in depressed areas have helped alleviate crime issues in other regions. He emphasized that the Charleston region’s strong towns and cities are relatively safe but that the data showed it as a challenge.

As Illinois’ public libraries continue to suffer from limited funding, the state’s regional library systems are continuing to make tough decisions.

The Shawnee Library System, a collaborative organization serving libraries in Illinois’ 32 southern counties, was forced to eliminate three staff positions at its July 15 board meeting, and is making plans to consolidate with three other Illinois systems by the same time next year.

...

There are currently nine systems throughout the state serving as interlibrary exchange services. Merger negotiations are underway between the northern five, which serve the Chicago area, and the southern four, serving the rest of the state.

All of the mergers are expected to take place by July 2011, Popit said, and then two library systems will be left to govern services for the entire state.

During the most recent Shawnee Library System board meeting in July, the board agreed to enter a cooperative planning process with the other southern systems, the Lewis and Clark Library System, the Lincoln Trail Libraries System and the Rolling Prairie Library System.

A planning panel was appointed and the board endorsed the goals and outcomes of the cooperative, which is to form a new organization to serve Illinois’ libraries.

Beverly J. Obert, executive director of the Rolling Prairie Library System, commented on the new collaboration in a post on the group’s website in late May.

“The future appears uncertain,” she said. “However, I believe that the commitment, knowledge, and spirit of collaboration found in the Illinois library community can and will transform library systems into a new organization that is a strong, vital, and sustainable partner in providing library services to the people of Illinois.”

Somewhere between the xenophobia and unblinking regionalism that Memphis’ economic development planning seems to run to and from is a middle ground where the attributes of our neighbors can be used in our interest and where our advantages over our neighbors can be coupled with those attributes.

It’s called marketing, and Olive Branch knows how to do it.

This isn’t about downing Olive Branch or anyone in Mississippi.

The problem is all north of the state line.

So much of economic development these days is about state government helping.

… we must have our act together for the governor or anyone else outside the county to back us. And we don’t as things stand now.

Getting to that spot begins with a city-county division of economic development and a director who reports to one of the two mayors – not both – with that mayor speaking for both governments. This may be asking too much. But it is certainly not expecting too much.

…

In too many cases, our local governments have become a kind of tollgate that business leaders must pay to cross into a community that has a lot to offer.

…

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. has been saying this for the last year. Local government has become a part of the cost of doing business, something for a business owner to endure in considering Memphis.

That cannot continue.

Neither can the false argument that Memphis has a supposed advantage in these matters because Tennessee doesn’t have a state income tax. No, it doesn’t. But there is no advantage to that when property tax rates are by far the highest in the state and local government itself continues to become the dominant industry in terms of growth.

First, I want to say I respect Bob Harper. ... He spends countless hours working on behalf of and responding to residents in PorterCounty. But I think his some of his campaign strategy -- particularly the fight against the Regional Development Authority -- will hurt PorterCounty and the region.

...

But scaring off development will mean residents end up footing the bill through higher taxes unless the county is friendly to growth.

That's why county officials have to think beyond the borders. Like it or not, PorterCounty is part of the region and will live or die with all communities.

More than 36,000 people -- 34.3 percent of the PorterCounty work force -- work outside the county every day.

Closing off the border to outsiders and frightening business growth with undue requirements will ultimately hurt PorterCounty.

And the best tool for both PorterCounty residents and region? The Regional Development Authority.

Residents in PorterCounty pay a mere quarter of a cent income tax to support the RDA. As yet, I've not heard of any business choosing to move out of the county or failing to build because of one quarter of one penny.

Not only does the money go to build regional infrastructure, it triples the money through state and federal matching grants. Killing the RDA would end the quarter-penny tax, but it wouldn't lower state and federal taxes. It only would send those dollars elsewhere.

The future for local programs was on the table Monday night as Borough Council interpreted the funding cuts and multimillion dollar parks project fogging the crystal ball.

The discussions were among six uncertainties in the Centre Region Council of Governments’ [http://www.crcog.net/] annual program plan, which prioritizes goals for COG’s six member municipalities for the coming year.

One COG concern, the 9 percent cut in state aid to libraries, will subtract $42,000 from Schlow Centre Region Library’s $2.2 million total budget in 2010-11 year.

“If it’s economically feasible for the municipalities to replace part of that state cut, I think we ought to do that,” said Councilman Peter Morris.

Monday night, State College Borough Council members commented on the document. Input from Centre Region municipalities will be reviewed at the Aug. 23 COG General Forum meeting.

Councilman Don Hahn praised COG municipalities for footing a large slice of the library’s budget.

“For better or for worse, the state’s portion of aid to the library is actually less than half the region’s,” Hahn said.

Through a fundraising campaign launched two weeks ago, Schlow hopes to raise $60,000, about $20,000 more than last year’s efforts, to compensate for the state funding drop.

Another looming uncertainty, COG has yet to develop a funding scheme for a regional parks system …

Staff also recommended that COG as a whole, not solely the borough, bear the costs of replacement for capital items at the Alpha Fire Company building on West Beaver Avenue.

“In the long run, if it’s going to be a regional program, those facilities should be owned and maintained regionally,” said Borough Manager Tom Fountaine.

Councilman Tom Daubert disagreed.

“That means they’re going to say that the fire station no longer belongs to the borough,” Daubert said. “I can’t see giving that up for a few dollars.”

10. U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles.

In this and section 11, links to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in the U.S. in a news story as well as recognizing other regional organizations. In most cases, where a full name is present, a Google search will quickly get one to that organization. News reports do not always get the organization name correct.Contents

.01City manager: Take water system regional

Cincinnati.com - Cincinnati, OH, USA

Growing Cincinnati's century-old water system into a regional district could mean hundreds of jobs and millions in economic development spinoff, University of Cincinnati economists say. The findings of the study by UC's EconomicsCenter for Education and Research were released Wednesday, hours before the first public meeting about the proposal. The study also said creating a regional district would save consumers $23 million over 10 years in water bills by gathering more customers, therefore spreading out water costs among more rate payers. But dozens of opponents aren't buying it. ... the city needs more money to keep up with changing technology and regulations, but it can't expand the current system because the state constitution requires utility facilities to serve city customers. To gather more customers, the city would have to build more facilities in areas that would be too far from the city to practically serve city residents. The city estimates it would get an average of $14 million a year over 75 years as payback for selling the water assets to a new regional district. ...

.02Regional Governance Ed. Note: Articles about the dangers of regionalism:

SweetLiberty.org

Regionalism: Sneaking America into World Government - By Jackie Patru

A thumbnail sketch of "the method whereby would-be world rulers intend to control every aspect of our lives. Without the full implementation of Regional Governance, their plan for world dominance cannot succeed."

Beware Metro Regional Government - By Phoebe Courtney, 1973

This out-of-print book is so important we transcribed its entire contents for your reading. A must read to understand how regional governance is being implemented; by whom; and for what reason. A complicated system explained simply and thoroughly.

Planners from the Pittsburgh region don't want legislators to slip out of finding a long-term solution to the state's $472 million transportation funding crisis, so Monday they voted to close the back door. Gov. Ed Rendell hinted last week that he could transfer, or "flex," federal highway funding if the Legislature doesn't act in time to save transit systems like the Port Authority of Allegheny County from deficit-related fare increases and service cuts. But the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, which plans and distributes state and federal transportation funding for the 10-county region, approved the last "flex" in 2007 with the understanding that it wouldn't happen again. The commission adopted a resolution yesterday recognizing the statewide transportation crisis left by the federal government's rejection of tolls on Interstate 80, but restating the group's opposition to transferring highway funding to transit again. ...

In Europe, fast trains are transforming the continent, bringing cities and countries within a few hours of one another, erasing centuries-old regional divisions, resuscitating long-dormant towns, cutting air pollution, creating new economies and manufacturing jobs, and, in a reversal of 20th-century fortunes, making some air travel obsolete. Is this America's future, or simply a glimpse of a far-off world we'll never inhabit? After decades of false starts, the United States is making a push for high-speed rail, which could bring many of the same changes to this side of the globe. The Obama administration this year gave $8 billion in stimulus funds to jump-start high-speed rail projects on 13 corridors in 31 states. And the administration promised $5 billion more over the next five years. ..

Vermont's congressional delegation Tuesday encouraged state businesses and organizations to apply for a $1.3 million federal assistance program administered by the Northern Border Regional Commission. Sens. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, and independent Bernie Sanders, and Democratic Rep. Peter Welch said the federal-state commission partnership was formed to stimulate economic development in the northernmost regions of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and New York. The commission will award its first round of grants by Sept. 30. "As northern Vermont communities work to create jobs and strengthen their local economies, the Northern Border Regional Commission presents important opportunities," Leahy, Sanders and Welch said in a joint statement. "We encourage Vermont organizations to explore whether NBRC funding makes sense for them." Vermont's Caledonia, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orleans counties are among the 36 counties included in the regional development effort. Priority will be given to projects in Essex and Orleans counties, because of their higher unemployment and poverty rates and their lower per capita income. ...

The states are broke, and like many consumers, they're borrowing big time to get out of their fiscal binds. The amount of debt that states are carrying spiked 10.3% last year to $460 billion, according to Moody's Investors Service. The debt is paid for through taxes and fees, making residents ultimately responsible. The median personal share of this burden jumped to $936, from $865 in 2008. (To see how much the tab is in your state, click here: http://money.cnn.com/news/storysupplement/economy/state_debt/index.html) And it's likely that states will turn to the bond markets even more this year as federal stimulus money dwindles, experts said. After all, officials face an additional $12 billion shortfall for the current fiscal year and a $72 billion gap for fiscal 2012, which starts next July 1.

The tourism industry says it is emerging from economic darkness, and NatronaCounty wants some of its travelers to come here — and spend some money while they’re at it. “We’re budgeting flat for this year, and hoping for everybody to be right,” said Aaron McCreight, executive director of the NatronaCounty Travel and Tourism Council. The council — a joint-powers board composed of representatives from the city of Casper, NatronaCounty, Bar Nunn, Edgerton, Evansville and Midwest — has endured a free-falling economy in the past two years that saw revenues from patrons of local hotels drop 20 percent. … The new budget anticipates $965,000 in revenues from the 3 percent lodging tax levied on hotel stays. These revenues — administered by the council’s marketing arm called the Casper Area Convention & Visitors Bureau — promote central Wyoming through brochures, advertisements, the Internet and other media. NatronaCounty voters will decide whether to renew the tax in the Nov. 2 general election. …

Mark VanderKlipp, president of Corbin Design in Traverse City talks about wayfinding and how it could help create a regional identity.He explains how it goes along with the Grand Vision concept here in northern Michigan.(short video)

Leaders from 10 Eastern Connecticut towns met Wednesday in Colchester to discuss ways to cut costs through regionalizing services and sharing resources.After the 90-minute talk, the town managers, administrators and first selectmen agreed to form subcommittees to meet and look at regional sharing options in parks and recreation, purchasing and public safety. Communities involved in the discussion included Colchester, Norwich, Bolton, Columbia, Windham, Coventry, Portland, Andover and Hebron. They looked at areas where combining services with other towns would make sense, such as merging bus routes. ...

.10White House Focuses On Building Regional Energy Innovation Clusters

GOVMONITOR - Miami,FL, USA

Through a series of energy conferences, and by fostering Regional Energy Innovation Clustersthe Administration is bringing these key players together to create a critical mass of information, human capital, and financial resources. These clusters are organic communities of entrepreneurs, investors, scientists and engineers, able to work in a spirit of collaboration to create new technologies, and make them an everyday reality. ... the path to clean energy and oil independence ran through the American heartland.Entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, university researchers, non-profits, along with local government and White House officials met together in Omaha, Nebraska for the first of three regional Energy Innovation Conferences. ... The Administration has also stepped up to help innovators and entrepreneurs in the Midwest to spur a successful Regional Innovation Cluster.The Administration highlighted over $30 million dollars in funding for Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri for worker training in green jobs, in order to create the workforce necessary to fuel the region’s Innovation Cluster. …

Five towns, one village and one county. All have recently been downsized in Western New York thanks to efforts launched by regionalism advocate Kevin Gaughan. Next, Gaughan will focus on the largest, and some would say the most dysfunctional government of them all. New YorkState. Gaughan wants to reduce the number of lawmakers in the New YorkState Legislature. "It seems to me now that it's time for the Legislature to do what every institution, what every private company, every house of worship, every library, every hospital is doing across New York," Gaughan said. "Adapt to the reality of our dying state." Gaughan wants to reduce the number of senators from 62 to 50 and the number of Assembly members from 150 to 125. He said the reductions would save the state roughly $37 million per year. ...

Resort towns face growth-related issues not usually associated with such perceived idyllic settings. Many of these involve concerns over sprawl, workforce housing and lack of basic infrastructure. In the wake of the financial fallout that has affected both primary and second homes, there is an opportunity to address a quiver of such issues. Resort communities are still hard pressed to provide adequate housing stock for their workers, despite vacancies and stalled projects throughout their respective regions. Most stalled or dead projects were geared to higher-end buyers searching for second, or third or fourth, homes. As the lenders and creditors seize these assets and write down their values after taking heavy losses, perhaps there is an opportunity to reposition them and solve both worker housing demand and over supply of second homes. ...

PimaCounty released the 2010-2011 Tucson Metro Bike Map, yesterday. The update includes new routes which were added since the map’s last update in September 2009. This year the map creators added two additional features. Zoll said they added a few dirt paths to map, which he said not everyone can ride, but they make great connections to other bike routes. ... According the Matt Zoll, PimaCounty’s bike and pedestrian program manager, he and his office work ask other governments in the region to send them a list of construction projects they plan to start in the next year and whether anything on the map needs to be changed. ...

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom issued the first ever comprehensive food policy for San Francisco, and a sweeping action plan to make improvements to food that is available in the region. The plan, which Mayor Newsom issued through Executive Directive, aims to ensure that all regional residents have access to healthy food, and will have far reaching impact throughout Northern California by increasing support for area farms.

The Japan America Student Conference (JASC) has spent its time in Indiana, delving into Richmond's rich cultural history during sessions at EarlhamCollege. Thirty-five American and 35 Japanese delegates crammed discussions, tours and lectures into their week-long stay. ... This year's JASC roundtable discussions include the topic of regionalism, based on the desire to understand how urban and rural communities coexist. "It was good for them to see Indiana," Jones said. "It's wealth of resources they couldn't get just visiting big cities like D.C."

Republic (RJET) CEO Bryan Bedford outlined why the regional business is a brutal onein my interview last week. It’s a mature industry with little to negative growth and shrinking margins. With that kind of challenging environment, the regionals have had to step out of their comfort zones to find a business model that works. ...

The Gary Public Transportation Corp. voted for a second time to defer its decision on consolidating with the Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority. With the decision, the board also approved a series of service cuts that will begin the first week of September. A grant request with the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, which funds the RBA, largely rides on the GPTC Board of Directors committing to consolidation. GPTC General Manager Daryl Lampkins said that staff would try to maintain as much transit service as possible. The service cuts will largely impact GPTC's regional routes because those were the ones supported by a two-year RBA grant that runs dry at the end of this month. ...

A new study led by Boston University College of Arts & Sciences researchers predicts that one of North America's most common bat species, the little brown myotis, will be all but extinct in the Northeast in 20 years due to an emerging disease affecting hibernating bats in eastern North America called White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). ...research shows that the regional population of little brown myotis is expected to collapse to less than 1% within 20 years of what its population size was before WNS, even if mortality slows through time. They conclude that loss of so many bats may result in unpredictable changes to ecosystem structure and function and will most likely become a nation-wide problem as the disease spreads further west and south and into Canada as well. "Each of the bat species affected by WNS are obligate insectivores -- many of which feed on insect pests of agriculture, garden crops, forests, and at times on insects that annoy or pose risks to human health," said Kunz. "The little brown myotis is known to consume up to 100% of its body weight in insects each night. This level of insect consumption provides an important ecosystem service to human kind, and to the balance of natural and human-altered ecosystems, which in turn can reduce the use of pesticides often used by humans to kill insect pests." ...

One of the immutable laws of government is that in July, there is a plethora of White Papers and policy statements rushed out before the summer recess. … We can look forward to addressing the democratic deficit in policing through the election of commissioners. We will see, over the next few years, the biggest change in the provision of health services since 1948.

Some of us will look back wistfully of building relationships from scratch with the soon-to-be-abandoned primary care trusts, and wonder quite how partnership working will work at the local level. But, if it works, the costs of change will be a price worth paying. The dismantling of regionalism does prove some particular challenges and opportunities at local level. The swiftness at which the ‘quango’ landscape can change will surprise some, but structures are easy to dismantle – less easy to build. … The LEPs will cover planning and housing – but not too much please, local transport, infrastructure and employment, enterprise and the transition to a lower-carbon economy. The groupings will need to cover functional economic areas, and this is very much in tune with the localist and district agenda. But can we move away from the terminology that partnerships would include groups of ‘upper-tier authorities. … The message to business and all councils is to get on with developing future economic areas and start moving these local enterprise partnerships forward. I know from contacts both locally in the ThamesValley and nationally that the Government should be heartened by the enthusiasm of the response.

Planning lawyers and their clients are in the midst of the biggest shake-up of the planning ­system for more than 50 years. It may be said that new governments are elected to make changes and that the direction of travel was clear from the ­Conservatives’ pre-election Open Source Planning green paper, which asserted that the current planning system is “broken” and that the current regime of top-down ­national and regional housebuilding targets would be scrapped and replaced by a more “localist”, neighbourhood-based approach. However, the current pace and absence of consultation on the detail is surprising to many. On 6 July the new Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles revoked all regional strategies and announced that all current national planning policy statements (set to be reviewed and amended to become a single national planning framework) should now be read as no longer containing any ­reference to ­regional planning. The announcement was accompanied by a short Q&A document. A number of us have expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of detail. For example, the national planning policy statements were written in the context of a system that had regional strategic planning at its core. How are policies now to be applied?... In London the changes will be less far-reaching. The ’regional’ tier, in the form of a directly elected mayor, together with his ’London Plan’, which must comply with ­individual boroughs’ plans, will remain, and indeed it is possible that further powers will be devolved to the mayor. The London ­governance model may also be introduced in other city regions. ...

.03Collaboration holds key to temple spat, says academic: Nationalism derided as being of no help

Bangkok Post - Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand and Cambodia should look to Europe for alternatives on ways to settle the dispute over the Preah Vihear temple world heritage proposal, a history lecturer says. SrinakharinwirotUniversity's Morakot Meyer said blinkered nationalism would hamper efforts by Thailand to work out a solution on Preah Vihear. Thailand and Cambodia should - in the spirit of regionalism being forged under the banner of Asean - follow the European example of turning national heritage into common regional heritage and reap mutual cross-border economic and cultural prosperity. A case involving Germany and Poland is a good example, Ms Morakot told a ThammasatUniversity seminar yesterday. On July 2, 2004, Unesco's World Heritage Committee inscribed the Muskau park on the world heritage list as an exemplary example of cross-border cultural collaboration between Poland and Germany. The English garden-styled park covers 3.5 square kilometres in Poland and 2.1 square kilometres in Germany. "Could we see this happen in Asean?" Ms Morakot asked. "Asean has so far no clear position to upgradenational heritage into a regional project of cross-cultural collaboration." Thailand itself, she said, should make a smart and far-sighted move. ...

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) celebrated turning 17 this July by fêting “ASEAN Centrality” at its annual confab in Hanoi. The forum also adopted a “Plan of Action” for implementing the ARF Vision Statement. Supporters of the ARF were quick to praise this development as a step forward in the forum’s anticipated evolution from a talk shop to a “more action-oriented” organisation. ... ASEAN’s default position in the “driver’s seat” of Asian regionalism is safe — for now. Yet no amount of self-congratulation can hide the fact that the ARF is woefully inadequate for addressing Asia’s most serious security problems. Contentious issues that have long dogged the ARF continue to hog the limelight — the Korean peninsula, Myanmar, the South China Sea — with no regional solution in sight, none at least that the ARF can satisfactorily furnish. ... The foregoing problems highlight anew the acute limits of the ARF, notwithstanding its bragging rights as the region’s premier security organisation. Students of the ARF explain the forum’s ineffectiveness as the outcome of its failure to evolve beyond confidence building to preventive diplomacy, a more intrusive and demanding form of security cooperation. Crucially, that failure is but a consequence of ASEAN’s longstanding preference for an ad hoc approach — strategies devised for a specific problem or task — to regional cooperation. Thus understood, the formation of the ARF in 1993 arguably served a specific purpose: the need (from ASEAN’s viewpoint) to stabilise Asia’s fluid and uncertain post-Cold War security environment by institutionalising a dialogue process — managed and mediated by ASEAN — involving the major powers and Asian countries. As a talk shop, the organisational features of the ARF— the “ASEAN Way” of institutional minimalism, consultation, flexible consensus and informality — served the intergovernmental forum reasonably well in the early years when its primary activities comprised confidence building measures that were neither intrusive nor binding....

It is evident that individual islands within our region cannot stand alone; therefore we need regional integration into every aspect of our system. However, it must be noted that there are some islands in the region that are doing well. The Bahamas, Barbados, the British, American, French and Netherlands overseas territories, states and departments have sustained economies; British and US Virgin Island, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, the ABC Islands, Guadeloupe and Martinique.Conversely, Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana have weakening economies, but they have sport teams that are competitive at the highest level. The Eastern Caribbean has semi-strong economies. In my honest opinion, I believe that the Caribbean could be a force to be reckoned with; only if we unite all of our efforts. As a region we should come together and compete against the rest of the world.

It wasn't official until now, but the Cornwall Regional Task Force has another partner in the fight against smuggling and other crimes near the U.S.-Canada border. Seven months after the return of the Cornwall Regional Task Force (CRTF) -- which is made up of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Cornwall Community Police Service and the Ontario Ministry of Revenue -- the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has joined the CRTF to enforce Canadian law along the borders, interdict the flow of contraband and investigate illegal activities related to contraband smuggling and to gather criminal intelligence. ...

Regional and Rural Development Minister Jacinta Allan said the Victorian Government’s Regional Aviation Fund was delivering vital upgrades to further position key regional and rural airports to house larger planes, attract more import and export-related business investment and boost aerial emergency response. “More than ever before, it is vital that our regional airports have the facilities that can house aircraft for emergency medical, health, fire and rescue services,” Ms Allan said. “The Brumby Labor Government is committed to supporting regional airports to capitalise on their potential and that’s why we have invested more than $26 million in the Regional Aviation Fund. …

“We live in a great part of Australia that is very popular with tourists.Tourism is a key driver of the Sunshine, Cooloola and FraserCoasts, providing jobs to local communities.We must do more to support and grow the industry to strengthen the regional economy,” Mr Truss said. “This funding package includes $14 million to provide Regional Tourism Organisations with grants of up to $100,000 per year to promote local tourism to the domestic market. “A $40 million Tourism Infrastructure and Development Fund will support local projects that help to drive the development of local tourism projects. Applications will be assessed for their potential to contribute to tourism employment and growth.” Mr Truss added.“Tourism employs close to 500,000 Australians and earns $24 billion in export earnings. It contributes $92 billion to our economic activity. ...

The website www.Magharebia.comwas started in 2005 by U.S. European Command (EUCOM) to "reach out to a younger audience in the North Africa region with news, sports, entertainment, and current affairs about the Maghreb in English, French and Arabic." It is similar to EUCOM's other sponsored news and information website, www.SETimes.com, "the news and views of Southeast Europe." These news sites are established and maintained under the regional Combatant Commander's theater security requirement. In other words, due to the absence ofinformation outlets focused on the region (excluding tightly controlled local propaganda stations), the Defense Department created and maintains these sites to provide news, analysis, and commentary collected from international media and contributors paid by the Combatant Commands. Their purpose is to increase awareness of regional and global issues to mitigate security threats that may stem from a lack of information, misinformation, or disinformation by local populations. ... Establishing regional sites (and transferring existing sites) like Magharebia and SETimes is important. These should not be brought under the umbrella of www.America.gov, which, with the passage of the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2010, should be split up, with parts merged with www.State.gov and other parts into regional sites. ...

French Polynesia Vice-President Edouard Fritch told Pacific Leaders a better regional integration is necessary for Tahiti at the 41st Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Port-Vila, Vanuatu. However, unlike pro-independence leader and Assembly Speaker Oscar Temaru, Fritch clearly stated that he does not seek full Forum membership for French Polynesia. ...

The Census of Marine Life grew out of a series of global concept meetings, following a 1995 U.S. National Research Council report indicating that no nation in the world could list the species that live in its offshore exclusive economic zone, as required under the Convention on Biological Diversity. A series of “Known, Unknown, Unknowable” meetings convened in every ocean region enabled the Census Scientific Steering Committee to compile information and enlist people from around the world to form a network of National and Regional Implementation Committees in support of a global effort to resolve this knowledge void. This collection represents the assembled results of their activities. As these data are incorporated into the Census' Ocean Biogeographic Information System and made available through its new home at the UN's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, they will be the best records of most countries' marine biodiversity. The people, technologies, and associations of the Census will play a key role the UN General Assembly's future Regular Marine Assessments. This collection is a major legacy of the Census' US$650 million “Decade of Discovery” to be released in London in October 2010. ...

Carimac Director Dr Canute James says that while the traditional newspaper will continue to exist in the Caribbean for some time, regional newspaper companies have to adapt to the changing technology and aggressively pursue a dynamic presence online. He also believes that if newspaper websites become more dynamic they will be more competitive regionally than other media forms such as radio and television, especially since the traditional form of the newspaper will eventually disappear. Speaking on Friday during a CSME Workshop for Newspaper Editors in Grenada, James said, “the newspaper, as we know it, may go because of changing technology.It doesn’t mean that the newspaper will go. ...

KANGAROOIsland has tremendous potential to develop its food industry and tap into high-value interstate and global markets. That’s the view of Agriculture, Fisheries and Regional Development Minister, Michael O’Brien, who visited the island last week. Mr O’Brien met community and business leaders, and visited farms and aquaculture operations. “I was very impressed that producers are being innovative in their approach to developing markets and opportunities,” Mr O’Brien said. “KangarooIsland has a name that’s recognised around the world.“Producers are now tapping into that recognition to build a premium food brand with global potential.”

The most powerful factor in economic growth is human capital– the level and concentration of skilled, energetic, and productive people. Charting the human capital levels of nations and regions is all the rage today, but Adam Smith long ago argued that human capital constitutes a critical fourth factor of productionalongside land, labor, and capital.Human capital is the key factor in both national and regional growth, according to careful empirical studies. Most regional economic analyses measure human capital across metropolitan regions. But metro regions – which are made up of central cities and their surrounding suburbs – come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. ... hunch was that regions with more concentrated human capital would have some advantage over others where the distribution was flatter or more similar across the metro. When his article came out, a number of prominent economists more or less said the same thing. But we all added that we couldn’t be sure; most studies focus on human capital at the metro level and few, if any, have looked at the distribution of human capital within metros – that is, between the urban center and its suburbs. So what about the distribution of human capital within metropolitan regions: Does it matter? ...

Alternative transportation is an integral component of regional growth as all communities in BoulderCounty experience heavy daily in and out commuting.BoulderCounty municipalities should require minimum levels of transit service between jurisdictions, such as 15-minute peak service and 30-minute off-peak service.Final mile consideration should be implemented to ensure transit stops are within walking, biking, or shuttle distances of job centers and other destinations. ...

Pillar IV: Create Housing Diversity

As Boulder rapidly approaches buildout, it is important that the City develop methods of creating affordable housing that do not rely as heavily on new development. ... Finally, regional housing choice is still poorly understood.BoulderCounty cities should conduct comprehensive studies to understand both the demographics and income ranges of our local work forces, the corresponding housing requirements and appropriate affordable housing goals, and potential funding sources to create additional affordable housing.

Years ago, we primarily saw opposition to commercial real estate projects on the coasts due to population density and market maturity.Now it can be just as tough to build in Kansas as in Massachusetts and California. Opposition to development nationally is at 74% and, as the chart here illustrates, there are no regions of the United States where developers can count on a calm and quiet public hearing. Mass media, the internet and social networking all help to level this playing field.Residents of every state have seen twenty years of media stories reporting on home owners fighting proposed big box stores and winning.Everyone thinks they can storm city hall and pressure elected officials to deny zoning changes and building permits.Political novices can get “how-to” directions on the web.Executive Summary: Toplines & Trends from the 2010 Saint Indexhttp://tscg.biz/the-saint-index/executive-summaryUK and CA links

Regional location factors, with measures of regional accessibility foremost among them, exert a strong influence on urban property markets. While accessibility represents an important regional-scale factor, more local influences such as proximity to urban highway links may also positively or negatively influence the desirability of a location. In this paper, we use a cross-section of home sales in Hennepin County, Minnesota from the years 2001 through 2004, along with a set of disaggregate regional accessibility measures, to estimate the value of access to employment and resident workers. We also estimate the (dis)amenity effects of locations near major freeway links that have recently undergone, or were scheduled to undergo (as of the time period covered by the home sales), major construction to add capacity. ...

... Brookings released a new report on exports and metro areas. While the report contains good analysis and recommendations, I fear its scope is too limiting. ... International exports are only one part of the equation. Every metro area has "exports" regardless of whether those goods and services leave the boundaries of the US. Every car build in Michigan that is sold in Texas is -- for the local economy -- an export. The study specifically focuses only on the international exports. For a complete view, it needs to include the sales of the metro area to other U.S. regional economies. Under that view, I wonder how much of the conclusions change. ...

As every native Chicagoan learns in elementary school social studies, over 100 years ago Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett crafted a planto make Chicago a global city for the 20th century, through a series of integrated infrastructure projects.Around the same time, in response to the threats of sewage pollution to the city’s drinking water supply, engineers reversed the flow of the Chicago Riveraway from Lake Michigan to protect public health.Our region’s history owes a great deal to the revolutionary Burnham plan and Chicago River reversal.But, 100 years later, we need a plan to move us into the 21st century. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency of Planning (CMAP) recognized this void in our regional strategy, proposing it be filled with the GO TO 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan for the greater Chicago area. ... As expressed in the comments we filed, we believe “This separation will stop the spread of Asian carp and other looming aquatic invasive species that can currently travel freely between the watersheds.But, as I’ve written about before, restoring the natural flow of the Chicago River and the natural separation between the Great Lakes and MississippiRiver basins has benefits far beyond these aquatic invaders. ...

AsianCarp.org is an official web site established to coordinate the implementation of control and management of Asian carps in the United States. Development and maintenance of this web site is supported by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service through a partnership with the University of Texas – Arlington and contains information and resources derived from a variety of other partners and sources. Permission is granted for the fair use of documents and other materials contained on this web site for personal, academic, scientific, conservation, and natural resource management purposes. None of the materials contained herein may be used for profit. Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee Members:

Contemporary world politics make it necessary for nations to integrate into international unions in the interest of their own national security and economy. In these international unions, which are usually based upon geographic location, such factors as natural resources, trading blocs, and even cultural values play an important role. Many neighboring countries combine their resources under the auspices of such organizations, create defensive alliances, and cooperate on a wide array of issues. The goal of such unions is to preserve peace, control the arms race, resolve disputes through diplomacy, promote socioeconomic development, and protect fundamental human rights and democracy. … Member nations protect their economic and military interests, and also acquire a stronger regional and international position. Even the developed world perceives the necessity of such partnerships. The creation of free trade zones, regional trade agreements, abolished customs controls, and even a common currency (as in the EU) safeguard the future of member states. Defensive pacts enable member states to reduce military expenditures and to divert those resources to cultural and educational fields. A similar organization will provide considerable benefits to Muslim nations. ...

Can bloggers help booksellers make their way into the digital age? The Southern Independent Booksellers Association (SIBA) and New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA) clearly think so – and are opening the doors of their trade shows to bloggers this fall. Bloggers are responding enthusiastically, judging by their outpouring of excitement as they peppered both organizers with questions in our #followreader chat on Twitter... Key Facts about the Regional Trade Shows for Bloggers: Of course, it costs money and time for bloggers to attend a trade show – so it’s best to weigh the main benefits of regional trade show attendance first: * hearing buzz on upcoming books and chance to sample free galleys * talking one on one with booksellers and publisher sales reps * interviewing authors attending the shows The next step is to see if one if you can make it to one of the nine regional book trade shows in the U.S. this fall. ...

Big brands have dominated advertising and traditional branding spaces for as long as advertising has existed.Their unthinkable marketing budgets have the capability to reach millions of potential customers in a single ad.But the tide is turning in the marketing world.While these large brands have embraced social media, they still have a distinct disadvantage at the regional level. Regional brands have the flexibility to cater their social media campaigns directly to their regional customer base, using the same tools that large brands are using to cover a wider audience.In addition, regional tools and services are growing in popularity which are increasingly difficult for large brands to monitor and be involved with.Regional businesses who take advantage of these tools can easily develop more meaningful customer relationships and create loyal customers and brand evangelists large brands can't. ...

As if we needed more proof that China has a real "mind behind" what is doing compared to certain relatively clueless imperialists descending into fiscal decay, here comes another piece in the puzzle. Something I've learned from our Chinese colleagues is the importance they place on infrastructure development. From Africa to the Middle East, they are building things that last, not empires of subprime junk (securities). It's something that Americans have never really furnished to others out of the goodness of their hearts. Heck, you can argue America's transportation infrastructure is becoming increasingly decrepit along with the rest of its lot as its budgetary woes enter the stratosphere. If the United States--increasingly paranoid after 9/11--jams entry points from NAFTA "partners" Canada and Mexico, what more to Latin America? In contrast, China is acting like a good neighbour to many of its surrounding countries, albeit with geostrategic imperatives always in mind. Hearkening back to the Silk Road of yore, plans are afoot to link up the region terrestrially (and, in the process, limit a certain navally dominant imperator from jamming sea lanes if push ever comes to shove). Let us begin with an article which appeared some months ago in the Independent:...

For an airline, especially a regional airline like Mesa flying short thin routes (as opposed to long, thin routes), regional jets are an appropriate vehicle. While we the passengers may want larger aircraft with more headroom and legroom, the airlines need to fill planes. Flying half empty aircraft is not good business. ...

Since 5th July, online registration for the OPEN DAYS 2010 seminars is open and approximately 1,000 people have already registered within the first week. Capacities provide for welcoming about 6,000 participants in total but organisers advise to register as soon as possible! Registration will be closed on 22 September.

A first Call for Papers has been posted on the WRSA (Western Regional Science Association) website for our upcoming February 27 – March 2, 2011 Golden Anniversary Annual Meeting to be held at the lovely Monterey Plaza Hotel on Cannery Row. It’s not too early to start thinking about a paper to submit by the traditional October 15 deadline. ...The website is accessible at: www.wrsa.info

.03Smart Growth Toolkit- Initiative for Sustainable Communities and States

The Smart Growth Leadership Institute, through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), developed the tools to help communities untangle the thicket of policies and procedures that get in the way of implementing smart growth strategies.

Many communities are envisioning an alternative future. They want to rebuild their existing neighborhoods and downtowns and design new ones to better respond to the needs and preferences of their citizens. They understand that communities that invest in thoughtful placemaking are also improving their ability to compete in the global marketplace for investments and talent.

Ed. Note: These are some of the sources of information and perspective I subscribe to in an effort to understand the workings of the financial crisis, which has roots in the global economy’s play out during my life-time and working career, e.g., since the end of WW-II.

My name is Tom Christoffel. I've worked in the field of intergovernmental and regional cooperation since 1973. As a consequence, "I see regions work.” It is my thesis that "regional communities” are emerging where multi-jurisdictional regional council organizations exist. This newsletter is research seeking confirmation of this thesis.

Making visible such cross-boundary planning, collaboration and cooperative action at multi-jurisdictional networked regional scales, public, private and NGO is my purpose. "Think globally, act locally" was innovative in its time. Today the local scale is often too small to address today's needs and opportunities. "Think local planet, act regionally,” is my candidate paradigm. No one said we're only allowed one paradigm.

We can see that “regional communities of communities” are organized locally and now act both to avoid tragedy in the commons and gain benefits. An effective multi-jurisdictional regional community has DNA. It is geographically Defined; has a common Name and its Alignment is inclusive of smaller communities and participatory in larger communities. So, by scanning this compilation, reading articles and checking organizations - you too will be able to see the regional communities that already exist.

News references are found using Google Search services. Media article excerpts and links are “fair use” to transform globally scattered reports to make regional approaches visible. Links go to the publisher and do not compete with it. Such publishers are likely to have related stories and thus be seen by new customers. “Regional” is an emerging news category.

There is no charge for this service and no profit is made from its use, though any user can become more aware of the topic itself. Regional Community Development News is published bi-monthly based on researched news reports as ofthe publication date.

The system is based on a geocode scheme set up for earth that focuses on established political boundaries as a basis for regional grouping of nations, states and localities. It is decimal system based to take advantage of the sort criteria for numbers in computers. It utilized the Sector Group and Region codes of the United Nations and ISO. Geographic information system technology does not solve the problem, but its tools can be used with the geocodes.

The geocode system effectively organizes Wikipedia entries as a library management and the geocodes can be used for data aggregation. This has been developed under a Creative Commons license and would benefit from a global network implementation where local users cooperatively related subnational geographic regions and component political geography.

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Earth ( we know its a spherical whole)

Humanity's Local Planet

Universe Man at the Boundary

Local Planet - Regional Space

Our Local Planet has systems of Political Geographies which combine as Regional/Greater Communities

Universe Man's place on earth is local and regional silmultaneously depending upon the system of regions, sub-regions of the planet as local wholes: continents, nations, states, provinces, districts, counties, shires, municipalities. etc., which have local regions within and between them which are capable of being greater communities at many scales.

Based on my experience as a regional planner and agency director, 1973 -2008, and in recognition of emerging "regional communities," I developed three thoughts about community that relate to the challenge of working across-boundaries as greater or regional communities. The thoughts/theses apply for communities at the scale of bonding or bridging social capital as defined by Robert D. Putnam, which is alternately local or regional. (link below)

As of 2011, considering the global financial crisis brought about by pursuit of the "profit motive," it struck me that this has come to dominate modern life. This is a relatively new invention of civilization and wasn't a concern for most of the time that homo sapiens has been on the planet.

The three thoughts below that had emerged in my experience of working on regional cooperation now represent what I now posit as the "community motive." Concern about "profit" can emerge within an established community over time, but, to my mind the "profit motive" does not exist in the wild.

1) Community precedes cooperation.2) Community is how life solves all problems.3) Security is the primary purpose of community.

These three thoughts, theses if you will, are the basis of the "community motive." Following is some exposition about each one.

As I see it, security has always been the priority for humans since the plains of Africa. That's why communities first seek to establish defensible boundaries. After the basics are in place, security focus shifts to the social and economic. Boundaries work like the membrane in the osmosis experiment most of us have seen in a science class. The membrane is a filter that lets the good things pass through, but keeps unwanted things out. (Osmosis -YouTube - 45 sec.)

The evolved political boundaries of today have consequence. The rules change when you cross them. Though marked on the ground and fortified in some instances, they are conceptual, as pictured above, with Universe Man. The boundary divides the space between local, that within, and regional, everything outside, as labeled in the second panel. The third panel repeats the image within, to show, without graphic elegance, that the land on which Universe Man sits is regional at another scale, as determined by other boundaries, and another area that's local. A territory is both local and regional, depending upon the perspective.

Communities of communities, “regional communities” are greater communities organized to solve a problem, be it managing a watershed, strengthening an economic cluster or ensuring peer competition for school sports. Regional boundaries can be imposed for administrative purposes within states, but for these to be a basis for effective cooperation, a greater community sense is needed for that geography among the people. This is true for multi-state and multi-national regional communities as well. The leaders with such a vision can build a regional community by finding that which is already in place.

This is not to suggest that community is easy to build in order to solve problems. In a crisis, humans of any culture, belief or politics can quickly come together and self-organize to save themselves and others. It was the on-the- ground response to the 9/11 attacks that demonstrated to me the deep responsiveness of human community, as well as the fundamental importance of security. Community is how humans have always survived. This, I think, extends to all life forms.